SG schools project ahead of schedule

Students are starting to see a change for the better at Scotia-Glenville schools.

The Scotia-Glenville Capital Improvement Project totaling $11.9 million, which the public voted for in May 2009, started in June and is expected to be done by September 2011. Representatives from Mosaic Associates Architects presented the district Board of Education with a presentation on the progress of the project.

[The project] is going to allow us to make the necessary improvement at our buildings, said Robert Hanlon, spokesman for the school district, after the meeting. "These are projects that will benefit our students and are long overdue in many cases."

There are a few improvements from the 1999 improvement plan included in the current project, said Hanlon, because the budget estimates came in too low and efforts to reduce cost had to be taken.

Currently the project is halfway completed and by January 60 percent of the project should be accomplished, which is ahead of schedule.

"We have had tremendous success where contractors were able to work undisturbed," said John Jojo, associate partner at Mosaic Associates Architects. "We have had some occurrences where we have asked contractors to relocate to different areas of the basement in the high school, they've been cooperative and we've been able to keep, that is really going on behind the scenes, moving right along."

Most of the improvements currently done are ones the public will notice, said Jojo, with more behind-the-scenes work needing to be done before completion.

At Glendaal Elementary School, a canopy in the rear area doorway of the building was corrected and there is new paving in the area. The Glen-Worden entry road was torn up and repaved with the addition of new parking spaces.

The high school main entrance got a face-lift with the sign relocated, new sidewalks and fixed issues with the overhead canopy removing a portion. The side entrance in the front of the building was also improved, but not lighted, since it is mainly used at the beginning and end of day for students. There is also new lighting along the entranceway.